Originally Posted by
jbandt
This is all great info. I'm not really sure if changing out the tires would work ,but wondered if it could be a cost effective alternative in the mean time. I'll have to check with the LBS to see what could be done. On the note of just getting narrower 26" tires, I was told that I could only go down to about 1.75 which I thought was insignificant. Maybe going down to 1.5 inch would be the way to go if possible. I'm really trying to figure out ways to pick up a little speed on avg. I know not getting full leg extension is probably hurting more than the wide tires. At 6'3" 275lbs 10-12 mph is leisurely, 12-15 is moderate and anything faster is really pushing it, or gravity aided. LOL! Ideally I'd like 12 to 14 mph to be more of a leisurely pace. Any more suggestions?
If the rims of your current rims are fairly wide, that could explain why the bike shop doesn't recommend going narrower than 1.75. Or it could be that they don't stock any tires narrower than that.
Getting a quality tire with a smooth tread will help some. Narrower is generally faster but not always. Some tires like Schwalbe's Big Apples have a pretty low rolling resistance even though they're a wide tire.
Anyway, getting a longer seat post so you can get adequate leg extension will help. Different tires may help some too but keep in mind that a comfort bike isn't really designed for speed. The upright riding posture and slack seat tube angle means you're less aerodynamic and potentially not able to generate as much power (there is much debate over optimum seat post angles).
That said, since right now you're only going about 3 miles each way, going faster isn't going to make that much difference in your travel time. I'd get the longer seat post at least because that will save your knees. After that, save your money and get a new bike off season.